Chicago-based Precision Surveillance Corporation (PSC) announced Tuesday it will locate a new manufacturing facility in Russellville, adding up to 25 jobs and investing $1.5 million in the city.

PSC, founded in 1986, specializes in services such as custom design and engineering; heavy lift/rigging design; ironworker and pipefitter construction; fabrication; and post-tensioning.

The company will occupy a 40,000-square-foot building in Russellville’s East End Industrial Park at 300 Industrial Boulevard, according to the announcement released by PSC Tuesday.

PSC isn’t new to Arkansas and has worked with Arkansas Nuclear One for over 20 years and with Entergy for over 10, according to PSC Vice President Christopher Cox.

“The big reason we chose Russellville is because we’ve done a substantial amount of work in that area and we’ve always been well-received by not only the community, but the clientele,” Cox said. “We also already employ a large number of people from that area and it’s centrally located for a lot of other employees who live in other areas of Arkansas, so it was a nice, central location for us to expand our business not only in that area, but the nuclear industry that we work.”

According to the release, “PSC has worked with more than 24 nuclear power plants in North America,” and “More than half of all post-tensioned concrete containment buildings in the United States have been supplied by PSC or its predecessor.”

The Russellville City Council approved at its regular meeting March 15 to spend $100,000 on exterior work at the future site of PCS, to go along with the $1.5 million PCS is expected to spend on construction.

“They’ll be spending quite a bit of money here and finishing out the building to their specifications,” said Jeff Pipkin, president of the Arkansas Valley Alliance for Economic Development (AVAED). “They’ll be hiring local contractors purchasing and materials and supplies from the immediate area.”

Pipkin said the money the city is paying is funded through a one-eighth of one percent sales tax that was enacted between 2003-2007.

AVAED has been working for about seven months to get PSC to locate in Russellville, Pipkin said. He said he expects the sale to close within 30 days, which is when construction will begin.

“I’m excited that we’ve gotten a new industry willing to trust, locate in and invest in our community in what is still somewhat trying times,” he said.

Cox said he expects PSC to begin taking resumes for its Russellville location in mid-summer, and will be looking for those with construction-, engineering- and administrative-related skills.

Mayor Bill Eaton said the corporation’s decision to locate in Russellville will benefit the city and the nuclear industry.

“It’s hand and glove with [Arkansas Nuclear One] and I think it’ll also be a great partner for the city of Russellville, and we really look forward to getting acquainted with them and having them as part of the community,” Eaton said.